Wandering around the Algarve, bags were poping up all over…..
We have visited Portugal many times over the past 5 years and never have I seen a bulk bag, other than in a builders merchants.
This year we managed to get away for a week in September and they were all over the place. I couldn’t help but think they were following me around – almost like a busman’s holiday!
It did get me thinking on how different the make up of the bags must be to those we have in the UK. They look the same as our standard builders bags, same size etc but the UV in them is considerably more than that put into the mix for UK bags.
The UV on the Algarve is around 7 (strong) where as in the UK we are generally around the 3 (weak). Just as we have to protect our skin depending on the UV we are exposed to, bulk bags have the same principle – the higher the UV the more UV protection needed to prevent them from disintegrating.
When a bulk bag breaks down due to excessive exposure to UV light, it becomes a powder. It can take a while for this to happen in the UV but if a bag intended for the UK market was supplied to anywhere in Portugal, it is likely to last days before it breaks down, rather than months it would take here.
Just for fun – when you are out and about on your holidays, it would be great to get a photo of bulk bags you see and lets see how far away from the UK they are spotted. Although I think I will be very jealous of the lovely locations you all get to.
